Shahdag 1972

Sattar Bahlulzade painted "Shahdag" with oil on canvas, and just look at that surface! It’s teeming with life. Bahlulzade attacks the canvas with short, energetic strokes. These aren't just marks, they're like tiny brushy seismographs, each one capturing a little tremor of the artist's feeling. The colors vibrate, too. It's like he's painting with pure, unfiltered feeling – the kind that bypasses the brain and goes straight to the gut. Check out the way he renders the mountain; It’s not just a mountain, it's a living, breathing thing, a swirling mass of energy that seems ready to leap off the canvas. It reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a wilder, more untamed spirit. Both of them use the paint to build a world, one loaded with emotional truth. It's a process of discovery, of letting the painting lead the way. And like all great art, it ends up somewhere unexpected.